Fred Couplescounts as the biggest name in this week's Schwab Cup Championship - but he's still seeking his first victory of 2013, after winning eight times in the previous three seasons.

Couples has four runner-up finishes this year, a lucrative if unsatisfying trend.

"I've hit some poor shots when I needed to hit some good ones," he said.

Harding Park holds fond memories for Couples, who was captain of the triumphant U.S. team in the 2009 Presidents Cup. Couples also tied for seventh in the 2011 Schwab Cup.

Those visits taught him all about the hazards of Harding.

"If the wind blows a little bit, the greens are tough to hit," Couples said. "This is a tricky, little course.

"The greens were kind of slow at the Presidents Cup, not perfect. Two years ago, they weren't perfect. Now they're in good shape. I think the course is a 10, absolutely perfect."

S.F. talks with tour: San Francisco officials met with their PGA Tour counterparts Wednesday at Harding to discuss future events at the course. The city's contract gives the tour an option to bring back the Schwab Cup in 2015 after holding next year's tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The contract also calls for a PGA Tour playoff event (the BMW Championship) to come to Harding in 2016.

Another possibility: The tour's commitment to stage the Match Play Championship outside Tucson, where it has been played in recent years, ends after the event in February. Officials have given no indication where the tournament might be held in 2015.